A couple have appeared on a BBC show to search for a property in Perthshire after falling in love with the area.
Phil and Andrea Vivian, from the south coast of England, first discovered the area after visiting on their honeymoon in 2016.
Retired drama teacher Phil and administrator Andrea revealed on the episode, which aired on Tuesday, how they were keen to find a forever home with more space inside and out.
The pair told Escape to The Country how it was Pitlochry that inspired their love of Perthshire and the surrounding area.
Phil said: “We went to Pitlochry Festival Theatre for the first time and loved the town and surrounding area.
Bournemouth couple on hunt for Perthshire property
“It offers a mixture of the rural but also the sort of activity that we enjoy within smaller towns.”
Andrea added: “We discovered it together: the landscape, the history, the people, and the food.
“It’s been our dream for years so we can’t wait to do it.”
The couple had a budget of £425,000 and set out to find a spacious “character” home, complete with a library for book-lover Phil, in a peaceful location.
Presenter Sonali Shah first showed the couple a property in Kenmore, meeting them on the banks of Loch Tay.
The home, on the market for offers over £295,000, was a 10-minute walk from the village centre. The Kenmore Hotel and village shop made an appearance.
The building, dating back to 1869, had a Victorian-style interior with scope for modernisation as a result of a recent extension.
A conservatory provided a view over the Taymouth Estate – but Andrea said she was not sure the house was big enough for what the couple needed.
Continuing on their journey through Perthshire, the couple took in the home of charity Remake Scotland on a visit to Crieff.
They learnt about sustainable living, with volunteer Fiona McGarva telling them that Crieff was “community-minded”. It helped reaffirm their decision to move to the area.
Heading on to the second home, they checked out a property in Stanley with a kitchen view over the River Tay.
Describing the view as “to die for”, Andrea saw “potential” in the £327,500 property.
However, they decided it was not the property for them, with Phil feeling there was “no sense of escape”.
Sonali then showed Phil and Andrea a house in the centre of Abernethy.
The 1940s joiners’ workshop was now a converted house on the market for offers over £299,500.
The pair felt it was “different” and cosy, and offered them another captivating view.
They were visibly emotional at the thought of them living in the home, with Andrea describing it as perfect.
For the mystery home – a staple of the BBC series – Sonali took the Vivans to a house outside of Perthshire.
They loved the property in Gargunnock, Stirlingshire, which was on sale for offers over £375,000. They described it as a “gem”.
At the end of the programme, the pair narrowed it down to either the Gargunnock or Abernethy properties.
After opting for Gargunnock, Andrea told the programme: “It means everything because we’ve dreamt of it for so long and had so many obstacles to get to that point.”
Phil and Andrea settle in Pitlochry
But despite falling in love with the house, the pair decided its spiral staircase may not have suited them in the long term.
It was revealed that the couple had put in an offer on a house in Pitlochry that was accepted.
The episode can be viewed on BBC iPlayer.
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